Pottery kiln



'Apr il 23, 1929. A. c. WARD 1,710,558

POT'I-ERY KILN Filed Dec. 20, 1927 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attornqy April 23, 1929. A, WARD 1,710,558

POTTERY KILN Filed Dec. 20, 1927 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Inventor Attornqy Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

U NITED STATES ALBERT C. WARD, OFOANONSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. V

POTTERY KILN;

Application filed December 20, 1927. Serial No. 241,322. i

My invention relates to pottery kilns and has forits' primary object to'provide a heating system for the floor thereof adapted to uniformly transmit the heat to all parts beneath the floor'so that the temperature thereof throughout its entire area will-be uniformly maintained. The equal distribution of the heatbeneath' the pottery floor of the kiln is an important feature in the drying of potteryor the like in order that the entire Output of a kiln may be uniformly-dried and hardened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a series ofspaced-tiers circularly arranged beneath the pottery floor forming a support for the same, said tiers being dis posed in staggered relation whereby to defleet the heat and to cause the same to circulate beneath the pottery floor in all direcrange fire boxes 10, which as more clearly illustrated in Figures 11 and 3 ofthe drawtions and also to provide'a radially disposed flue extending inwardly'toward the center fine of the kiln from each of the fire boxes for the purpose of forming a relatively free passageway, of substantially slight area in order to provide a suitable'draft for the fuel in the fire box. 7 v p I A further object of the invention is to provide a double pottery floor for the kiln, with both the upper and lower sections thereof formed of brick of suitable dimensions enablingthe same to be supported upon the tiers beneath the floor without employing I the use of mortar or other binding material whereby to enable any portion of the floor to be easily and quickly removed for the purpose ofrepairing the same.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction and combination of the various elements comprising the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the kiln with parts broken away and in section so as to illustrate the interior construction thereof, s

Figure 2 is a top plan view ofthe pottery floor, with parts broken away illustrating the arrangement of the supporting tiers and Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of the kiln taken substantially along a line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

I have shown my invention comprising a pottery kiln of a type generally employed for the use in drying and hardening of pottery or the like and comprising an annular kiln construction composed of side walls 6, a base '5' and with a crown roof 7 supported bythe .walls and provided with the [usual vent number of the tiers being provided'depending upon the particular size of the kiln,"

At spaced intervals about the wall 6 I arings have their faces disposed at a horizontal f plane beneath the base 5 and are provided with feed openings 11 formed in thexwall of the kiln enabling the fuel to be placed in firing position within the fireboxes. 'A radially extend'ing'partition 12 is supported upon the base 5, the outer end of'each of said partitions beingdisposed substantially midway of the sides of the 'fireboxes 10. The partitions 12 are'constructed similarly to the tiers 9, that is being formed of fire brick and arranged with the side edges 'of the partition spaced slightly from the adjacent ends of the respective rows of tiers so as to form a passageway at eachside of the partition extending toward the center of the kiln, the area between the pair of partitions substantially forming a fine with the partitions constituting the sides thereof. The inner end of each.

of the fines terminates short of the center of the kiln and inwardly therefrom are arranged additional circular rows of tiers to the other.

The tiers 9 and partitions 12 form supports for a double pottery floor composed of a subfloor section 17 and a top floor section 18, each of said floor sections being constructed of fire brick, with the brick of the subfloor 17 be ing arranged in a circular formation and having their inner and outer edges upon adjacent rows of tiers.

In this manner each row of the bricks comprising the subfloor 17 substantially forms a bridge above the respective rows of tiers 9 and by supporting the inner and outer edges of the brick comprising the floor in this manner, and as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the floor may thus be constructed without employing the use of mortar or other binding material. It is understood that in constructing the floor in this manner that the inner and outer edges of each brick must be curved in conformity with the curvature of the kiln. V p The upper floor section 18 is likewise formed of fire brick and may be in the form of a square as shown in Figure 2 and spaced upon the subfloor 17. The center of the floor section is provided with an opening forming the flue 15 and about which is disposed a sectional flue member 19 supported upon top of the tapered row of tires 14.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings the upper portion of the fire box, shown at 20, communicates with the space formed between the base 5 and the pottery floor and accordingly the heated air generated in the fire box willbe fed under the pottery floor and during its passage toward the flue 15 at the center of the kiln the portion thereof will circulate between the tiers 9 and the remainder will pass directly along the fines formed by the partitions 12 to the flue 15 and thence upwardly into the chamber formed above the pottery floor.

Theupper portion of the fire box is also provided with a relatively small opening indicated at 21 extending through the floor section and about which openings are arranged 22 formed of vertically disposed wall sections supported upon the upper surface of the pottery floor without the opening 21, said bags having their upper portion open and communicating within the pottery chamber above the floor.

As will be seen from an inspection of Figure 1 of the drawing, the walls 6 of the kiln above the crown 7 taper upwardly to form the stack 23.

The construction of the tiers 9 and partitions 12 in the manner indicated insures the circulation of the heated air throughout the entire area beneath the pottery floor and thus provides for the uniform heating thereof. The manner of staggering the tiers 9 prevents the passing of the heated air directly to the center flue 15 and thus serves to retain the heated air for a limited period beneath the floor.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and I accordingly claim all such forms of the device to which Iam entitled. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new is:

1. In a pottery kiln of the class described, a plurality of rows of supporting tiers arranged in circular formation in spaced relation, with the tiers of each row being staggered with respect to the tiers of the adjacent row, a plurality of radially extending flues extending transversely of the rows of tiers and separating said tiers into.

groups, said flues having transverse passages formed therein communicating with the groups of tiers at each side of the flue Whereby to provide for the free circulation of air between the groups and a floor supported upon said tiers and said flues comprising a sub floor section and an upper floor section,

said sub floor section being composed of a plurality of associated units arranged in circular formation with their inner and outer edges resting upon two or more tiers of adjacent rows and said main floor section being composed of a plurality of units having their edges disposed angularly with respect to the edges of said sub floor section.

' 2. In a pottery kiln of the class described comprising a circularly arranged wallhaving a plurality of 'fire boxes disposed at spaced intervals therein, a plurality of sup porting. tiers arranged within thearea 'defined by the wall, said tiers being disposed in rows arranged concentrically with respect to the wall with the tiers of each row disposed in staggered relation with respect to the tiers of the adjacent row, a radially disposed flue extending inwardly from each of said fireboxes and having transverse openingsaffording a circulation of'air between the area at each side of the flues, said flues terminating short of the center of the kiln with a plurality of circularly arranged rows of tiers disposed inwardly thereof, said inner tiers being staggered with respect to the flues and with each other and a floor supported on said tiers and flues having a central flue providing communication between the air above and beneath the floor. 7

3. In apottery kiln, a base having side walls extending upwardly therefrom, a plurality of fire boxes disposed in the'wall and I ranged Within the area defined by the partitions and disposed in concentric rows with the tiers of each row staggered with respect to the tiers of each adjacent row, a floor sup- 5 ported on said partition and said tiers having a flue at its center portion providingan air passage above and below the floor, and passageways formed in said partition terminating below the floor, whereby to provide for the circulation of air at each-side of the partitions adjacent the base end to restrict such circulation immediately beneath the floor,

In testimony Whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT C. WARD. 

